Destruction

by R C Knight

  “We shall see about that,” the demon responded matter-of-factly as he gestured for them to step through the door.

  All three of them inhaled deeply as their eyes landed on the Kybus. Its skin was bright white, the morning sunlight was reflecting off it. A spiked collar was around its neck, with chains going from the collar into the Colosseum floor, keeping the demon in place. It stood over twelve feet tall, its three heads basking in the sunlight. Massive blades had been surgically attached to its arms.

  “The poor creature is in constant pain,” the demon chuckled darkly. “And because it has three heads it has simply lost its mind.” He laughed, his yellow eyes staring at his creation with fondness. “Have you ever backed a wild animal into a corner?” he asked as he ushered them into the arena. “The results are spectacular.”

  The men covered their ears as the Kybus released another ear-piercing screech. “Make sure to keep its attention.” The demon laughed as he closed the cage door behind them. “We wouldn’t want it to go off into the crowd.” With that little piece of advice, the red demon disappeared.

  Zane looked around the arena, the stone walls rose high above them. The seating area was packed with spectators, their cheers of excitement filling the air. He sighed as he shifted his feet in the sand that covered the floor of the arena. He could see puddles of red and black blood that had soaked into the sand from the first fight of the day.

  “You guys ready for this?” he muttered as he looked at Cain and Abel, who were tense with anticipation.

  “Of course.” Cain smiled as he gripped the haft of his ax tightly. “This should be fun.” He lifted his ax high and roared back at the demon, his gray eyes filled with blood lust. The crowd cheered loudly as the Kybus’s collar was released. The demon immediately lunged forward towards them.

  “Move!” Zane commanded as the Kybus spread out its arms, preparing to attack all three of them at once.

  Zane dipped under the Kybus’s blade only to meet another blade crashing towards him. He quickly drew his sword and used it to redirect the blade into the ground. He swiftly rolled away from the demon, creating some distance so he could examine the creature.

  Cain and Abel were on the other side of the Kybus. They quickly blocked and parried each attack. The demon’s massive blades were relentless, one attack after the other, without stop.

  “He’s fucking strong,” Cain muttered as he blocked another attack. “You get the next one brother.” Abel nodded as Cain backed away, watching as Abel stopped the massive blade with his daggers.

  During the brief moment that the Kybus was immobile, Cain rushed forward with his ax held high. He let out a roar as he charged the Kybus and brought his ax down, easily cutting through the demon’s white flesh. The Kybus screeched in pain as its arm fell to the ground, a black slime began to ooze from the wound.

  “Is that all you have?” Cain laughed as he and Abel created some distance from the demon. Zane watched in awe as the black slime began to pull the severed arm back towards the demon’s body. Cain and Abel rushed forward, their blades at the ready as they attacked the other arm. Their faces lit up with victory as they severed the demon’s other arm.

  Zane stood frozen as he watched the Kybus’s first arm knit itself back together. The black slime spread from its other severed arm and worked on stitching that back together as well.

  “What the hell?” Cain hollered as he rushed the Kybus and quickly brought his ax down, slicing through the demon’s stomach. It screeched loudly as its intestines spilled onto the sand.

  “Don’t wear yourself out now,” Zane shouted from the other side of the demon. “This is just the beginning.” He smiled as he raised his sword, the hilt burning his palms.

  The three of them continued their onslaught, watching as the Kybus healed each wound they inflicted. Cain jumped onto one of the demon’s arms and brought his ax around, preparing to sever one of the demon’s heads. Zane watched as the Kybus pulled its head back and threw an arm up in its place, allowing Cain to sever its arm.

  Interesting, Zane thought as he blocked the massive blade coming down on him. He grunted as he summoned more strength to push the demon’s arm back. “Lariat!” Zane shouted as he made eye contact with Cain and Abel.

  Cain smiled darkly as he jumped off the demon’s arm, his axe held high as he dipped low. With a roar he cut the Kybus’s legs out from underneath it. Abel laughed as he appeared from behind and swooped in underneath the creature. As the demon began to fall forward, Abel used his momentum to kick it into the air.

  Zane focused his energy into his speed as he rushed forward. With his blade held high he let out a loud grunt as he jumped, his legs straining as they pushed him into the air. His body began to spin, his blade easily cutting through the demon’s flesh. He watched as arm after arm fell to the ground. The black slime covering the once golden sand. Zane chuckled as he turned, his blade outstretched. In a single motion he cut through the tops of all three of the Kybus’s heads, watching with fascination as the demon’s brains fell out of the opening.

  Zane landed with a loud thud, his whole-body aching. The crowd’s cheers filled the air as the demon fell to the ground, lifeless.

  “This match is ours!” Zane shouted as he held his sword in the air. The crowd cheered even louder, their excitement filling the air around them. Zane smiled as he nodded at Cain and Abel, who were staring at the lifeless body of the Kybus. “Let’s go.” He smiled as he started heading towards the cage door. Cain and Abel followed him; their breathing heavy from exertion.

  A sudden silence filled the air as the men neared the door. A loud screech brought them to their knees. It’s still alive? Zane thought as he held his hands over his ears, it felt as if his brain was going to explode. He forced his body to turn so he could check on the demon. He gasped, the Kybus was only a few feet away.

  All three of the demon’s heads were focused on him. It’s blood red eyes shining with fury. “Move.” Zane shouted as the creature drew near, its massive blades already coming down towards him. He jumped backwards, his mind frantically thinking of how to avoid this attack.

  Zane’s heart-wrenching scream of pain filled the air as the Kybus’s blades met their target. Two of them went across his torso, while the other two pierced his legs. Heat seared across his rib cage and stomach as tears filled his eyes. The Kybus’s red eyes filled with triumph as it pulled its blades out of his legs.

  Cain and Abel reacted quickly, “Release!” They shouted in unison, their eyes turned black as their skin began to crack, revealing the corded muscle underneath. Their muscles bulged, causing their skin to crack even further. Smoke began to billow from their bodies as the corners of their mouths ripped back, revealing their teeth that had sharpened into fangs. Their transformation was quick thanks to the red mist. They launched themselves onto the demon, tearing apart its flesh with their bare hands. Their roars of anger filled the air as Zane laid there, his red blood staining the sand beneath him. He could hear the crowd’s shouts of enthusiasm as the fight continued.

  This can’t be it, Zane thought as his vision began to fade. He took a shallow breath, causing pain to sear through his chest. Aria’s face filled his mind, her bright green eyes beckoning him to come with her. He smiled as he felt his body relax. He slowly exhaled, focusing on Aria’s face as his vision turned black.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Earth

  Ryder sat quietly in the crowd, watching as Zane, Cain, and Abel entered the arena. The demon they were going to fight was massive, but it was only one demon. This won’t be a problem for them, he thought as he examined the crowd; their eyes were filled with bloodlust as they waited for the match to begin. He looked over at the main viewing area. The Red Horseman sat gallantly on his thrown, his great sword thrust into the ground in front of him. He rested his skeletal hands on the hilt of the sword as he leaned forward, watching the battle with intense, blazing red eyes. Six Elites surrounded him, their eyes wearily watching the crowd for an
y signs of attack.

  Ryder turned his attention back to the match. His body tensed as Zane fell to the ground and did not get back up. His chest had been ripped open; his organs visible for all to see. Bright red blood pooled around him. “What the fuck do we do now?” Abel’s shout echoed off the stone walls of the Colosseum. This is not going to plan, Ryder thought as he focused on Zane, his heart sinking in his chest as Zane took his last breath.

  ~~~~

  “I wish we were watching the battles.” Aria sighed wearily as she walked next to Bishop.

  “It’s more important for us to examine the spire,” Bishop responded. “Besides, knowing those three, the match will be over right after it starts. We aren’t missing anything.”

  “I suppose,” she sighed as she looked up towards the top of the hill. “Did they have to put the spire on top of the highest fucking hill in this place?”

  “It’s a good strategy,” he muttered as they followed the worn, dirt path that wound up the side of the hill. “It also deters unwanted visitors.”

  “Whatever,” Aria muttered as she kicked a rock off the path. “Let’s just get close enough to see if they have any guards. I’m honestly surprised we made it this far without running into anybody.”

  “They’re all watching the fights.”

  “Still,” she responded wearily. “You’d think they’d keep some kind of security around the spire.”

  “I doubt they are worried about it,” he replied matter-of-factly. “They’ve had complete control for seven hundred years without any major issues. They’ve become complacent.”

  “Well, that’s good for us, I guess.” They continued up the path, the silence broken by the occasional cheers from the Colosseum. The spire rose before them, its black stone emanating power. In front of the spire was a large block of concrete and soapstone. The face of Christ stared out at them from this block.

  “That’s right,” Aria muttered as she eyed Christ’s face. “There used to be a giant statue of Christ here.” What happened to you? she wondered as she rested her hand on the statue.

  “Looks like they enjoy ironic decorations,” Bishop muttered as he ran a hand along the block. “The surface is still smooth. They must be doing maintenance on it.”

  “I guess so.” She shrugged her shoulders as she walked around the statue and continued towards the spire. A massive, stone door led into it. They walked around the spire, examining every inch they could see. The door was the only entrance, there were no windows or openings anywhere else.

  “One way in and out,” Bishop muttered as they returned to the front of the spire. “That’s never good.”

  “Well, it’s all we’ve got.” She sighed as she sat down next to Christ’s head. “Think we should just try and blow it up?”

  “I don’t think we have enough explosives left for that.”

  “Then we’ll need to find its source of power and somehow destroy that.”

  “Yea.” Bishop sighed wearily as he ran a hand through his hair. “How is your holy magick doing? Maybe we’d be able to use that.”

  “Yea… We should definitely have a back-up plan,” she muttered as she stared down at her hands. “I’ve gotten more of my control and power back, but it’s not reliable yet.”

  “Alright.” He turned away from her to gaze out at the city below them. “We can see what Keira brought for explosives and have Kai send them to us. Hopefully they will be enough.”

  “Yea.” They sat in silence, staring out at the city. The shouting from the Colosseum had stopped. “Listen, Bishop. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love. I just hope that you aren’t letting Mikayla’s death affect your judgment.”

  “I’m fine Aria.” He sighed as he looked over his shoulder at her. “Right now, I need to focus on ridding the world of these demons. I’m not going to let anything get in the way of that. Mikayla wouldn’t want me to.”

  “Alright,” Aria muttered. “It’s just, with this red mist, you’ve been acting out lately.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I just don’t want you to –”

  “I said I’m fine,” he shouted; his fists clenched at his side. “I don’t need you to baby me.” He clenched his jaw as he turned back towards the path. “Let’s get back to the city. I don’t like how quiet it is at the Colosseum.”

  “Uh… yea.” Aria sighed as she stood up and silently followed him down the path.

  ~~~~

  “Zane’s dead!” Abel shouted as he jumped off the Kybus, his hands covered in black slime. “What the fuck do we do now?”

  “Focus on getting out of this!” Cain shouted as he blocked an attack. “How the fuck do we kill it?”

  “Magick?”

  “Did you learn something overnight?” Cain groaned as he tore off the Kybus’s arm for what felt like the millionth time. “If not, give me an idea we can work with.”

  Abel regrouped next to Cain, taking a moment to catch his breath as they watched the Kybus’s arm reattach itself. “Let’s just keep tearing it apart for now.” Abel sighed as he rolled his shoulders. “Maybe we’ll find a weak spot that can’t heal itself.”

  “Alright.” Cain shrugged. “Let’s do this.” They ran towards the Kybus, guttural screams leaving their mouths as they ran and jumped onto it. Cheers filled the arena as the brothers continued their onslaught.

  Zane’s mind was filled with darkness. Just move. He willed his body to do as his mind commanded, to no avail. I can’t believe I was so stupid. Of course, it would be able to heal its damn heads. Now fucking move, they need me! The Kybus’s screech echoed through the darkness. He could feel the anger coursing through his body as he tried to move. Just focus. He cleared his mind as he searched for the source of his holy magick, like Kai had taught him.

  He quickly found it, prepared to pull everything he had to heal himself. But where there once was light was a dark orb, absorbing all the light around it. He could feel the power radiating from that darkness, but he wasn’t afraid of it. All I need is some power, he thought as he reached forward and grabbed the dark orb. An overwhelming pain spread through his body, burning him to the core. It made him feel alive.

  He was able to open his once heavy eyes. He looked down at his body, small wisps of black fire escaped from his closing wounds. The pain of the fire was overwhelming. My entire existence has caused pain to those around me, it’s only fitting that my magick causes so much pain. The fire seemed to fuel his anger, but somehow with all this anger, he felt more in control than he ever had in his life. A strange calm filled his body as he slowly rose from the ground. Silence filled the arena as Zane rolled his shoulders, his clenched fists resting at his sides.

  His eyes locked onto the Kybus, watching as Cain and Abel tried in vain to tear it apart before it could heal itself. I know what I must do. He smiled as he watched Cain and Abel jump off the Kybus to regroup. He disappeared in the blink of an eye. He reappeared crashing into the wall of the Colosseum, the Kybus in his grasp. Darkness swallowed the demon as it shrieked with the inevitability of its fate. The heat from Zane’s hand spread to the demon, burning it until there was nothing left.

  Zane walked away, leaving a pile of ashes in his wake. An outline of the Kybus had been burned into the wall by the intense heat. He calmly walked past Cain and Abel and through the door, back into the underbelly of the Colosseum.

  “So…” Abel looked over at his brother. “What was that about you being better than Zane at killing?”

  “Shut your cock holster,” Cain muttered as he turned to follow Zane. “What was that about him being dead? I saw those wounds. He was definitely dead.”

  Cheers erupted from the crowd as they left the arena. What the hell was that? Ryder wondered, concern filling his face. If he keeps growing at this rate, we might not be able to kill him if we need to. “What the fuck was that?” The red demon’s voice pulled Ryder out of his mind. “No one could have beaten my Kybus like that,” the red demon shouted as he made his way to
wards the Red Horseman. “What tribe are they from?”

  “Awá,” the Red Horseman responded; his voice filled with intrigue. He turned towards one of his Elites and whispered into its ear. The Elite nodded, grabbed the red demon, and quickly left the viewing area. Well this might fuck everything up. Ryder sighed as he looked back at the arena, his eyes lingering on the burned outline of the Kybus.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Earth – Atlanta

  Darkness surrounded Liam as he sat, patiently, on the top of the decrepit building. The stars twinkling brightly above him, and the light of the full moon, illuminated the worn streets below him. The crisp night air was refreshing as he pulled out a tattered cloth, gently wiping the black blood from his daggers. His hazel eyes remained vigilant, watching the streets below him as he methodically cleaned his daggers.

  A small group of lesser demons were nonchalantly walking down the street, heading right towards the building Liam was waiting on. Perfect, he thought to himself as he sized up the competition. There were only four of them. Their horns were tiny, barely protruding from the charred skin on their heads. Even better, none of them carried a weapon. This is going to be too easy. He sighed as he stood up and waited on the ledge of the roof.

  With one swift motion, he jumped from the roof, his daggers out. He landed on top of one of the demons, sinking his daggers into its skull. The other demons shouted in surprise as they jumped back from the commotion. Liam’s lips curved into a smile as he pulled his daggers from the demon’s skull and squared his stance. His eyes narrowed as he stared down the demons, their red eyes filling with determination.

  “Let’s kill this fucker.” One of the demons exclaimed as they began to surround him.

  “It should be easy.” Another demon chuckled as he raised his hands in front of him. Long, black talons extended from his fingertips. Liam knew from experience that they were razor sharp.

  “Come at me!” he shouted as he bounced on the balls of his feet. One of the demons charged at him while the other two stayed back. The demon swung widely, without any precision. Liam sighed wearily as he nonchalantly dodged the attack, swiping his dagger across the demon’s side as he went. Might as well drag this out, he thought as the demon’s momentum carried him into the wall of the building. The demon hit the building with a thud and fell to the ground, shaking its head in dismay. Liam looked at the other two demons, a smirk on his face. “Think you can do better?” he taunted.